Safety cap

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to closure members or caps for containers and more particularly to closure members embodying a safety feature to prevent unauthorized removal thereof from containers such as medicine receptacles and the like. The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein includes an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member and an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing the inner member. These parts are secured against unintentional axial separation and the outer member is normally freely rotatably with respect to the inner member. The top of the outer member is axially deflectable and protuberance means is arranged to releasably couple the inner and outer members upon deflection of the outer member.

United States Patent Miller SAFETY CAP 4 [72] Inventor: Christian F. Miller, Palos Park, Ill.

[73] Assignee: V.C.A. Corporation [22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1970 21 Appl. No: 23,730

[52] US. Cl. ..2l5/9, 215/43 A [51] Int. Cl ..B65d 5 5/02 [58] Field of Search ..2l5/9, 43 A, 43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,472,411 10/1969 Turner ..215/9 3,055,524 9/l962 Glasbrenner ..2l5/9 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney-Olson, Trexler, Wolters and Bushnell ABSTRACT The present invention relates generally to closure members or caps for containers and more particularly to closure members embodying a safety feature to prevent unauthorized removal thereof from containers such as medicine receptacles and the like. The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein includes an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member and an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing the inner member. These parts are secured against unintentional axial separation and the outer member is normally freely rotatably with respect to the inner member. The top of the outer member is axially deflectable and protuberance means is arranged to releasably couple the inner and outer members upon deflection of the outer member.

11 Claims, Drawing Figures SAFETY CAP SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The potential hazard to children resulting from the use of receptacles containing toxic materials, medicines, and the like is well known. Storing such receptacles in hard to reach places has not proven wholly satisfactory. It is, therefore, one of the important objects of the present invention to provide a practical and novel closure device for containers which a child will find extremely difficult to remove.

More specifically the present invention contemplates an improved closure device of the type adapted to be accommodated by a threaded container opening and having a cap section which will normally rotate freely without imparting forces tending to unscrew the device from an associated contamer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closure device as above-mentioned which necessitates the manual application of pressure in an abnormal fashion in order to condition the device for unscrewing.

The present invention also contemplates the provision of a closure device which may be produced very economically by practicing conventional plastic molding methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a container having inassociation therewith a closure device which is representative of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the closure device, disclosing the inner and outer inverted cup-shaped members in separated relation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, central, vertical, sectional'view of the upper portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1, with the inner and outer members of the closure device shown in uncoupled relation thereby rendering the outer member freely rotatable with respect to the inner member.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of a limited portion of the adjacent upper wall sections of the inner and outer cup-shaped members with a pair of cooperative lugs shown in elevation prior to the application of external pressure to the outer closure member, said view being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, after pressure has been applied to the upper closure member and rotation has been imparted thereto in a tightening direction shown by the arrow, whereby cooperative lugs abut each other by provide a coupling between the inner and outer closure members;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 8, disclosing the top of the outer closure member pressed further so as to enable the interlock or overlapping of adjacent lugs, whereby when rota tion is imparted in a loosening direction as indicated by the arrow, the combined inner and outer members may be rotated as a unit to permit unscrewing of the inner member from an externally threaded container;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, horizontal, sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5, disclosing three pairs of cooperative lugs in the abutting relation shown in FIG. 5, whereby to enable the inner and outer closure members to be rotated as a unit in a tightening direction, or in other words in a clockwise direction when viewed from the top of FIGS. I and 3; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIG. 6, showing a plurality of pairs of lugs in interlocked relation to enable unscrewing of the inner and outer closure members as a unit.

DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing more in detail wherein like numerals have been, employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures it will be seen that one embodiment of the closure device contemplated hereby is designated generally by the numeral 10. In FIGS. 1 and 3 the closure device 10 is shown in operative association with the upper externally threaded portion of a container 12. The closure device 10 is comprised of two elements, namely: an internally threaded closure member 14, and an outer member 16 adjacently superimposing the member 14. The members 14 and 16 are in the form of inverted cup-shaped elements having substantially cylindrical side wall sections 18 and 20 respectively. The member 14 has an upper or top wall section 22, the upper surface of which is adjacently spaced with respect to the underside of an upper or top wall section 24 of the member 16. An annular centrally positioned protuberance 26 depends from the top section 24. When the members 14 and 16 occupy their nested relation as shown in FIG. 3 the annular protuberance 26 is telescopically associated with a recess defined by an annular protuberance 28 extending upwardly from the upper wall or section 22 of the member 14. In this manner the members 14 and 16 are maintained in concentric relation. An annular shoulder 30 at the bottom of the wall 20 cooperates with the adjacent bottom edge of the inner closure member 18 to secure these parts against unauthorized axial separation.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that when the members 14 and 16 occupy their assembled relation as shown in FIG. 3, the member 16 is freely rotatable with respect to the inner member 14. Attention is now directed to a plurality of annularly spaced protuberances or lugs 32 formed integral with and projecting downwardly from the underside of the top section 24 of the member 16. A similar arrangement of annu- Iarly spaced protuberances or lugs 34 project upwardly from the upper side of the wall section 22 of the member 14. When the members 14 and 16 of the closure device 10 occupy the normal assembled relation illustrated in FIG. 3, the lower extremities of the protuberances 32 lie in a plane spaced slightly above the plane which is coincident with the upper extremities of the lugs 34. This is clearly illustrated in the sectional enlargement shown in FIG. 4. These planes are illustrated by dot and dash lines in FIG. 4, and the space therebetween is indicated by the letter A. Thus the outer member 16 may be rotated freely in opposite directions by manually gripping the outer peripheral surface of the wall 20 without establishing contact between the protuberances 32 and 34.

The members 14 and 16 of the closure device 10 may be in the form of plastic material produced by practicing conventional methods of plastic molding. The upper wall 24 of the member 16 is sufficiently thin to enable manual axial deflection of said wall by applying external pressure manually in the manner shown in FIG. 1. Such pressure will enable the protuberances 32 to enter complementary spaces between the protuberances 34, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 5.

Applying rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, will cause the inner and outer members 14 and 16, respectively, to rotate as a unit in a tightening direction. When these parts have been tightened to the final position shown in FIG. 3, and the pressure is relieved from the upper disc-like member 24, the protuberances or lugs 32 will automatically spring upwardly out of engagement with the lugs 34. The outer member 16 may now be rotated freely in either direction without imparting rotative forces to the inner member 14. In order to loosen the closure member 10 from the position shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to impart greater axial deflection to the wall section 24 as illustrated in FIG. 6. With the lugs 32 positioned as shown, forces applied as indicated by the directional arrow in FIG. 6, will cause the lugs 32 to engage the complementary lugs 34 and thus enable the closure device unscrewed as a unit from the container 12. Particular attention is directed to the disposition of the: lower surfaces 32a of the lugs 32 and the upper surfaces 34a of the lugs 34. These surfaces are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. Hence to establish overlapping conditions of lugs 32 and 34 as shown in FIG. 6, it is necessary to deflect the wall 24 a greater distance than is necessary to effect the lug overlapping condition illustrated in FIG. 5. This unique structural arrangement makes it extremely difficult for a child to condition the closure device for unscrewing.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates a very simple and practical closure device equipped with structural features which reduce to a minimum the potential hazard of unauthorized closure removal. The provision of the inclined lug surfaces 32a and 34a not only a require considerable axial deflection of the top wall section 24 to bring about the abutting relation of the lug shown in FIG. 6, but also serve as cooperating cam surfaces, which upon contact, tend to urge the outer member 16 axially away from the closure member 14 toward the disengaged relation of the lugs as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The safety features described above may'be incorporated in a container cap at minimum cost and hence such caps or closures may be produced very economically.

lclaim:

l. A container closure device including an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof towards the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure, and interlocking protuberance means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means requiring a given extent of deflection of said upper wall to establish interlocking for one direction of rotation and a greater extent of deflection to establish interlocking for the opposite direction of rotation of the container closure.

2. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes cooperatively disposed protuberances on the upper surface of the inner cupshaped member and the adjacent under surface of the outer cup-shaped member.

3. A container closure device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the axial extent of the protuberances associated with the outer member when viewed from a point radially externally of said member is greater on the left side thereof, than the right side and the axial extent of the protuberances associated the inner member when similarly viewed in greater on the right side thereof than the left side.

4. A container closure device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the said protuberances terminate in surfaces which are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

5. A container closure device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said surface extremities are inclined upwardly from left to right when viewed from a point radially externally of the side walls of said cup-shaped members.

6. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes cooperative, annularly disposed circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting axially from the upper wall sections of said inner and outer cup-shaped members are so shaped as to require greater axial deflection of the upper wall of the outer cup-shaped member to couple said protuberances for unscrewing than for tightening.

7. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1,

with respect to a container.

A container closure device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the protuberance means includes protuberances extending upwardly from the upper wall of the inner cup-shaped member and cooperative protuberance means associated with the adjacent axially deflectable underside of the upper wall of the outer cup-shaped member.

9. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1,

, wherein the adjacent upper wall surfaces of the cup-shaped members are provided with inter-engaging, centrally located means for maintaining said members in concentric relation.

10. A container closure device including an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof toward the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure and protuberance means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means including annularly disposed, spaced protuberances extending downwardly from the underside of the yieldable wall of the outer cup-shaped member, cooperative annularly disposed spaced protuberances extending upwardly from the upper wall of the inner cup-shaped member, the extremities of said protuberances being so arranged as to require a predetermined degree of axial deflection of the upper yieldable wall to establish overlapping relation of cooperative protuberances whereby to permit rotation of said members as a unit in a tightening direction, and to require a greater degree of axial deflection to establish overlapping relation of cooperative protuberances to enable said members to be rotated as a unit in a loosening direction.

11. A container closure device including an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof towards the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure, and interlocking means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means including circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting downwardly from said upper wall and cooperatively disposed circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting upwardly from the upper wall of said inner section, the outer peripheral surfaces of the protuberances of one member adapted for engagement with the outer peripheral surfaces of complementary protuberances on the other member for rotation as a unit in one direction when the upper wall of the outer member occupies a given downwardly deflected position and for rotation as a unit in the opposite direction when said upper wall is deflected downwardly to a greater extent. 

1. A container closure device including an inner inverted cupshaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof towards the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure, and interlocking protuberance means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means requiring a given extent of deflection of said upper wall to establish interlocking for one direction of rotation and a greater extent of deflection to establish interlocking for the opposite direction of rotation of the container closure.
 2. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes cooperatively disposed protuberances on the upper surface of the inner cup-shaped member and the adjacent under surface of the outer cup-shaped member.
 3. A container closure device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the axial extent of the protuberances associated with the outer member when viewed from a point radially externally of said member is greater on the left side thereof, than the right side and the axial extent of the protuberances associated the inner member when similarly viewed in greater on the right side thereof than the left side.
 4. A contaIner closure device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the said protuberances terminate in surfaces which are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.
 5. A container closure device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said surface extremities are inclined upwardly from left to right when viewed from a point radially externally of the side walls of said cup-shaped members.
 6. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes cooperative, annularly disposed circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting axially from the upper wall sections of said inner and outer cup-shaped members are so shaped as to require greater axial deflection of the upper wall of the outer cup-shaped member to couple said protuberances for unscrewing than for tightening.
 7. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes protuberances projecting downwardly from the deflectable portion of the upper wall of the outer cup-shaped member and cooperative protuberance means associated with the adjacent surface of the upper wall of the inner cup-shaped member, said protuberance means being so disposed as to couple said inner and outer cup-shaped members for either loosening or tightening with respect to a container.
 8. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protuberance means includes protuberances extending upwardly from the upper wall of the inner cup-shaped member and cooperative protuberance means associated with the adjacent axially deflectable underside of the upper wall of the outer cup-shaped member.
 9. A container closure device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adjacent upper wall surfaces of the cup-shaped members are provided with inter-engaging, centrally located means for maintaining said members in concentric relation.
 10. A container closure device including an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof toward the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure and protuberance means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means including annularly disposed, spaced protuberances extending downwardly from the underside of the yieldable wall of the outer cup-shaped member, cooperative annularly disposed spaced protuberances extending upwardly from the upper wall of the inner cup-shaped member, the extremities of said protuberances being so arranged as to require a predetermined degree of axial deflection of the upper yieldable wall to establish overlapping relation of cooperative protuberances whereby to permit rotation of said members as a unit in a tightening direction, and to require a greater degree of axial deflection to establish overlapping relation of cooperative protuberances to enable said members to be rotated as a unit in a loosening direction.
 11. A container closure device including an inner inverted cup-shaped internally threaded closure member for application to a complementary externally threaded container, an outer inverted cup-shaped member adjacently superimposing said inner member and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means securing said members against unauthorized axial separation, the upper wall of said outer cuplike member being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof towards the inner member in response to the manual application of external pressure, and interlocking means arranged to releasably couple said members upon deflection of said outer member, said protuberance means including circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting Downwardly from said upper wall and cooperatively disposed circumferentially spaced protuberances projecting upwardly from the upper wall of said inner section, the outer peripheral surfaces of the protuberances of one member adapted for engagement with the outer peripheral surfaces of complementary protuberances on the other member for rotation as a unit in one direction when the upper wall of the outer member occupies a given downwardly deflected position and for rotation as a unit in the opposite direction when said upper wall is deflected downwardly to a greater extent. 